PC Students Brave the Cold to Return for Spring Classes
It was a cold and chilly gray morning at the Porterville College quad, with the various welcome to school booths set up with Associate Student body representatives and other PC outreach booths ready to welcome students and provide information Tuesday on the first day of the 2024 Spring Semester.
But it was so darn cold, and a bit foggy, that unless you had to move from building to building, most people were trying to stay inside and work in a warm environment.
Students stayed warm in the cafeteria, the Learning Center, and the Library study center, or were in their classrooms.
PC President Dr. Claudia Habib was out in the quad for a while and greeted various people from students to administrators returning for the spring semester, welcoming them to the college. She also kindly arranged for some hot cocoa to be set up in the quad, which everyone greatly appreciated.
About the spring's enrollment, she said, "I am thrilled to see this continued growth in enrollment at Porterville College. It indicates that more and more of our community is turning to the power of a Porterville College education to reach higher, go farther, and achieve more. We continue to be committed to providing students with the resources they need to rise to the challenges that confront them, and we are excited to see them all accomplish big things in the future.”
PC was set to welcome 4,200 students, a 27 percent increase of 2023 spring enrollment. In addition to regular classes the college is offering various activities for students while they return to the daily routine of getting their education. The activities include games, music, PC Swag, and information on how to take advantage of special benefit programs for during the morning and afternoon today and Thursday.
The students were glad to be back at the college to see their friends and pursue their studies. Brandi Flores, Aliza Bun, Destiny Duran, and Abigail Hines all greeted Habib and chatted in the quad for a bit. Bun said she was really excited to start the new semester, while her friend Duran said she's studying Elementary teaching. Hines plays both volleyball and softball and she said, "Go Pirates!"
Emilio Leon is in his second year at college and is studying biology, and he said the courses are great, but he'd like it if there were more of them available.
Roger Perez, PC Director of Communications and Community Relations, braved the cold taking photographs and video. He said, ""It's always great to see the campus come alive on the first day of classes, especially in light of the colder weather. There is so much energy. From new students discovering where their classes are to conversations in the quad between friends reuniting for a second semester of study. It's especially great to see continued growth in our enrollment semester-to-semester and year-to-year. It shows that the community of Porterville values a college education and the big things it can mean for their futures. We look forward to another great semester full of growth and great accomplishments for our students."
Drew Lopez who worked with the MHS film and video production crew was at PC and said he was so excited to start back at PC and happy about how many friends he's made at PC. He's studying Agriculture Business. Lopez was walking into the quad with his friend Kyha Yocum, who's studying sociology, and said she was also happy to be back at PC.
Kierstin Hall, a long time actor at the Barn Theater, is studying in the music program at PC and said she was having a good time. "I also like the cold weather."
Other students who passed to their classes were Alejandra Cervantes and Yeraldin Leon who are studying Elementary Education, and said they were glad to be back.
Administrator Jasmin Quinones said "We're excited to be back and have so many students on campus today. Coming back from COVID this is the liveliest I've seen it."
